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Super Bowl ad draws criticism

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH ) — Many people only watch the Super Bowl for the commercials. This year, some ads are causing controversy.

Nationwide Insurance ‘Make Safe Happen’ ad aired in the first half of the game and features a young boy who died in a home accident.Watch the Nationwide Insurance ‘Make Safe Happen’ ad here.

A lot of people were upset with the ad, tweeting about it and saying to use a child’s death was a bad idea and that the commercial was too depressing..

Nationwide Insurance issued a statement late Sunday night following the Super Bowl.

“Preventable injuries around the home are the leading cause of childhood deaths in America. Most people don’t know that. Nationwide ran an ad during the Super Bowl that started a fierce conversation. The sole purpose of this message was to start a conversation, not sell insurance. We want to build awareness of an issue that is near and dear to all of us, the safety and well being of our children. We knew the ad would spur a variety of reactions. In fact, thousands of people visited MakeSafeHappen.com, a new website to help educate parents and caregivers with information and resources in an effort to make their homes safer and avoid a potential injury or death. Nationwide has been working with experts for more than 60 years to make homes safer. While some did not care for the ad, we hope it served to begin a dialogue to make safe happen for children everywhere.”